Why find your style?
Have you noticed that the classic hipster look of desaturated, light, neutral colors has taken over Instagram? Over the past few years, I’ve attempted to change my style – across social media, in my clothes, in the subjects of my photos – to match this trendy aesthetic. But slowly, I’ve realized that this is not actually my own style. By pursuing a look that's not my own, I’m stifling my creativity and I’m not allowing my own style to flow naturally.
I’ve discovered the joy and importance of discovering a style that displays what’s inside me. Finding my own style has leaked confidence, ease, and joy into other aspects of life.
5 step process:
So how do you even know what your own style is? The first step to implementing a personal look is discovering it. Here are the 5 steps I've compiled from my experience:
Start with what you’ve got. Look through your closet, home décor, and past photos of yourself. Pay attention to what you love and take photos (or save photos) of your favorite outfits and items. Also pay attention to your least favorite items, thinking through why you dislike them.
Turn to social media. Scroll through your feeds and stop on people you love to follow. Most likely, if you like to follow them, you like what they’re doing visually, specifically on Instagram and Pinterest. Save or screenshot what is most lovely and inspiring to you. Pay attention to patterns, materials and colors that stick out to you.
Create a mood board or a Pinterest board where you can add all the images you’ve gathered. Check out my three Pinterest "Inspo" boards here.
Chose 3 to 6 words from the following list that stand out to you: bold, soft, formal, casual, glamorous, cozy, fun, bright, neutral, simple, detailed, sweet, romantic, retro, unique, classic, elegant, flowy, subtle, vintage, bohemian, edgy, handmade, modern, sleek, warm, cool
Tada! You’ve now started to discover your personal style. This won't be a perfect list at first, but give yourself the freedom to continue to tweak and refine it. Save your list of words and photos somewhere that’s easily accessible. Whenever you’re shopping, creating art, taking photos, or making any visual decisions, refer to your list. Try this for 3 months and let me know how it goes!
What is my style?
Over the past few months, I've concluded that I’m drawn to bright colors, bold fonts, geometric patterns, handmade elements, and high contrast.
This personal style applies to home décor, social media, personal fashion, my job as a designer and beyond. Fun fact: my pursuit to finding my own style is in part what inspired the creation and design of my blog!
Happy discovering, everyone!
